1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to black powder dispensers and more particularly pertains to a black powder dispenser which may be employed to incrementally load black powder gun propellant into muzzle loaders and other guns.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of field deployable powder measures and muzzle loader charging hardware is known in the prior art. More specifically, black powder charging hardware heretofore devised and utilized for loading black powder charged arms are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for a black powder dispenser in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,356 to Ellion et al. discloses a gun powder dispensing and measuring apparatus wherein an electrically powered motor drives a screw type conveyor to deliver measured powder charges to a powder scale. An electronic servo loop comprising a sensing means and a speed control varies the rate of powder delivery to permit accurate charge mensuration. The Ellion invention is adaptable to production scale operations involving the precision required in repetitively establishing smokeless powder factory loads, however the electrical power, precise measuring capability, and the attendant cost of the apparatus preclude casual use and more particularly render field use impractical or impossible. And furthermore, the use of screw conveyers for measuring black powder charges is strongly discourages because of a great sensitivity of black powder to frictional and electrostatic initiation. The present invention comprises a manually powered device capable of being carried on a person into field conditions for the purpose of measuring black powder charges by a cavity fill technique. The cavity fill powder measurement technique is intrinsically safer in comparison to screw conveyer approaches and yields sufficient charge weight accuracy for black powder charge measurement.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,409 to Simpson a shot and powder dispenser attachment is disclosed. The Simpson invention comprises an attachment used in conjunction with shell reloading tools having a progressive dispensation of powder charge and shot as employed in the manufacture of shotgun shells. The Simpson invention is unsuitable for the field loading of black powder guns wherein shot is not used and shell reloading tools are not required. The present invention is devised to enable field reloading of muzzle loaders and related arms using black powder charges and has no requirement nor provision for loading shot or other projectiles.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,657 to Ellion et al. a powder dispensing and measuring device is described. The Ellion et al. invention comprises one or more barrels transferring powder from one container to a scale and second container by vibratory assisted gravitational inducement. Electrical power is required to vibrate the barrels and an electronic servo loop is provided to measure a precise weight of powder to form each charge. The present invention is field usable and furthermore is designed to provide sufficiently accurate black powder charge weights by a volumetric, cavity fill technique. The present invention does not require electrical power for operation and needs no servo loop to control charge weight.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,120 to Sekiguchi et al. a powder dispenser is described. The Sekiguchi et al. invention is devised to supply a predetermined amount of powder by finger tip operation wherein primary usage is in the cosmetics application field. The requirements for successful and safe interior ballistics for firearms preclude employment of a loosely engaging spiral powder delivery means because of a variability in charge weight resultant thereby. The present invention precisely measures charges incrementally and therefore leads to insignificant variability in charge size and interior ballistic results. And furthermore the physical differences distinguishing cosmetic powders and black gun powder generally preclude dispensing the substantially granular black gunpowder from cosmetic powder dispensers.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,913 to Stott a powder dispensing apparatus is disclosed for transferring powder from a bulk supply to a container wherein a series of conduits and at least one electrically powered blower is employed. Disadvantages in this prior art lies in a lack of field portability, an inappropriate application to load black powder arms which generally comprise small filling container sizes, a requirement for electrical power, and a recognized safety hazard in employing blowers and ducts which collect black powder dust and can eventually lead to catastrophic detonation. The present invention is hand held and field transportable, and measures black powder charges for loading weapons without the use of electricity or other non-manual power sources.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,148 to Dunning discloses a powder dispenser. The disclosure teaches a manually powered powder dispensing system wherein a measure of substantially fine powder is dispersed into free space by an air stream. The disclosure makes no provision for measuring energetic materials such as black powder which, although termed a powder is more or less a granular substance and furthermore if dispersed by an air stream may provide a significant hazard for ignition from static electricity triboelectrically generated within the dust cloud and container walls. Furthermore, there are no provisions for loading dispensed powder within small arms. There is no teaching to refill an included powder reservoir for reuse. The present invention safely measures an amount of black powder and empties said black powder as an increment into the muzzle of small arms without the use of air streams. The present invention is designed to be refilled many times.
In this respect, the black powder dispenser according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of field measuring and dispensing black gunpowder.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved black powder dispenser which can be carried into the field and be used to reload muzzle loading small arms under field conditions. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to improve black powder dispensers and powder dispensers in general. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.